Label



C. W. KRESS April 24, 1934.

LABEL Filed May 15, 1933 ATTORNEY- Patented Apr. 24, 1934 PATENT? OFFICE NITED STATES 11 Claims.

My invention relates to the application of labels to combs and refers more particularly to a novel label for that purpose and to its combinatio with a comb in a novel manner.

Commonly heretofore ordinary straight, or often more or less curved, combs have been labeled and thus displayed for sale, merely by means of a label in the form of a paper band encircling the comb, with its overlapping ends glued together. Such a usual band form of label does not stay in place on the comb, such labels often slipping off and becoming lost, regardless of whether they are narrow, or of considerable width, and also regardless of efforts to apply them snugly to the combs. The fact that the combs are commonly tapering, either along curved or straight lines, makes the difficulty greater, in keeping such encircling band labels in place upon them.

In accordance with my invention, a label band for the comb has a fold bight passing between the teeth of the comb and has another fold bight passing over the outer edge of the back of the comb, these fold bights thus being disposed substantially at right angles to each other. In carrying out my invention, in the form thereof shown in the accompanying drawing, the label is applied to the comb diagonally, with a diagonal bight or fold thereof between the teeth of the comb, from which it can not escape, by reason of another diagonal bight 'or fold of the label being in engagement with the back edge of the comb, the overlapped ends of such a diagonal label being adhesively secured together at the reverse side of the comb. The applied label thus extends diagonally of the sides of the comb, while its fold lines, between the teeth of the comb and at the back edge of the comb, respectively, will be substantially at right angles to each other.

The appearance of such a label on the comb, in side View, is therefore that of a quadrilateral having two salient acute angles and two salient obtuse angles, the opposite edges of such diagonal label being parallel with each other, while the ends of the applied label, produced by its folds or bights, will ordinarily be substantially at right angles to one another. Consequently such a label in its unfolded or flat condition before its application to the comb will present a straight middle or intermediate part or section and two parallel projecting arms which extend diagonally at an angle other than a right angle. In the folded or applied condition of the label, these arms overlap at their end portions, being secured together by means of an adhesive, andextend with their edges in aligned parallel relation with the edges of the middle section of the applied label, at the other or opposite side of the comb.

My invention will be further described with reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating one embodiment thereof and in which similar parts are designated by similar reference numerals.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of my invention, showing a label having novel features as combined in a novel manner with a comb.

Figure 2 is a top or plan view of the comb with the label applied thereto as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the partly folded label before it has been applied to and combined with the comb.

Figure 5 is a plan or side view of the label in a fiat unfolded condition.

In the accompanying drawing, Figures 1, 2 and 3, and more particularly Figure 1, illustrate one embodiment of my invention, in which a novel label is combined with a comb of a usual form or type. It is to be understood that the dimensions and shape of the label may vary, dependingmore particularly upon the size and shape of the comb to which it is applied. 7

The comb shown in the drawing as illustrative of my invention is a flat comb having a smooth rounded and thickened slightly curved back rib l1, usual strong end teeth 12, 13, and a straight toothed edge, with coarse teeth 14 at one end of the comb for about half its length and. line teeth 15 for the rest of its length. The width of the comb gradually tapers, along the curved lines of its back rib 11, from substantially the middle of the length of the comb towards each of its ends, this taper being somewhat greater towards the fine-tooth end of the comb.

The novel label, forming a distinguishing feature of my invention, is illustrated in Figure l, 2 and 3 as combined with and as forming a unitary article of commerce together with the above de-' scribed comb, while Figures 4 and 5 show the label itself preparatory to its application to, the comb, Figure 4 showing such label in a partly folded condition just ready to be installed upon the comb, and Figure 5 showing one of such labels in its original flattened condition as manufactured for use.

The label as a whole comprises a body section 16 provided with terminal angularly projecting attaching arms 17 and 18, which extend edgewise from the body or main label section 16. In the original flat condition of the label, shown in Figure 5, these attaching arms 17 and 18 are shown as parallel with each other, and in the particular label shown in the drawing, these arms project from the label body 16 at an angle somewhat steeper than 45%. Thus the label as a whole, when flattened, as in Figure 5, is in the form of a strip having two edgewise angular bends, and may be substantially of the shape shown, or it may vary therefrom more 01' less.

Such a label, in accordance with my invention and substantially as indicated in the drawing, may be made from suitably strong and thick smooth paper, or from smoothly finished thin cardboard, cut substantiallyto the shape shown in Figure 5, for example. The labels may be thus cut from a sheet or strip, with very little waste,

with a compact arrangement of their outlines, as

should be evident from Figure 5. The outer-or exposed side of the label body 16 is intended to bear thereon a suitable identifying and advertising legend 19, which probably may bemost conveniently printed on the sheet or strip of paper material before it is cut up to form the individual labels.

Fold'lines 20 and 21 are desirably provided at the respective angles or lines of jointure between .the label body 16 and its angular end arms 1'7 and 18. of a nature to make easy the folding of the label into its final form, as applied to the comb. These fold lines 20 and 21 are conveniently and advantageously formed as outer score lines, such as gashes or slits out only part way through the paper material, and that is what is intended to be indicated in the drawings by the scored fold lines 20 and 21, shown in Figures 2, 3, 4: and 5.

In the exemplification of my invention illustrated in the drawing, the attaching arm 17 is longer than the other attaching arm 18 and is shown as substantially a duplicate in dimensions and shape of the body section 15, being tapered or beveled diagonally along the inner edge of its end at 22 at the same angle as the longer fold line 21 for the shorter arm 18, but with the extreme point at the end cut off as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The other attaching arm 18 is shorter, and may have a squared end 23, as shown in Figures l and 5. A film or coating 24 of glue or other suitable adhesive material is applied to the tapering or beveled end portion of the longer attaching arm 1'7, as shown in Figure 4, this adhesive film, in its dry condition, requiring only to be moistened in order to render it eifective, immediately preparatory to the application of the label to the comb, as indicated in the partly folded condition of such a label in Figure 4, and as shown in its final or applied condition in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

' In'the applied or installed condition of the label, the adhesively coated inner face 24 of the folded longer attaching arm 1'7 overlaps upon the shorter attaching arm 18, with the beveled edge 22 of this longer arm flush, or substantially so, with. the

- scored fold line 21 of the shorter arm 18, as shown in Figures 2 and 3. In the attached condition of the label shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the bight or fold along the shorter scored fold line 20, for

the longer attaching arm 17, passes between two of the teeth of the comb, shown in the drawing as the strong coarser teeth 14, although if desired it could similarly pass between two of the finer teeth 15. The bight or fold along the longer scored fold line 21, for the shorter attaching arm 18, is folded over and abuts against the rounded outer edge of the comb back rib '11, along substantially the middle portion of the length of the latter, as is clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2.

Thus, as will be evident from the drawing and more particularly from Figure 1, the shorter fold 20 of the attached label is inescapably and irremovably or unreleasaloly interlocked between two of the strong coarser comb teeth 14, where it is maintained by the engagement of the longer fold 21 with the back rib ll of the comb. In the particular illustrated example of my invention, the opposite parallel edges of the label body 16 extend diagonally of the front face of the comb at an acute angle which is noticeably less than 45% to the straight toothed edge of the evident.

It is to be distinctly-understood that the shape or contour, the relative dimensions, the size, and also the particular illustrated angular arrangement or disposition-of the-label onthe combf .may all be varied through rather wide limits,

being dependent in part upon the shape and size of the comb. One essential thing, or feature of the device. of my invention, to be borne in mind,

is that the two foldsor bights ZO and 21"must.

bear such av relation to eachother. and to the comb which carries the applied label, that the bight or fold 20 is unable to escape from between the teethofthe comb, without destructionFof the label. The label is made of sufiiciently strong material to withstand any usual or ordinary handling, without liability of tearing. Thus this novel label can not slip off nor otherwise become lost or separated from the combpriorto its .sale to the ultimate consumer or user, who simply tears the label off when the comb is to be used.

It will now be evident that the device of my invention has wide application and advantages in the labeling of combs for sale and use. Also that it has distinct commercial virtue, while at.

the same time being both practical and inexpensive.

It isobvious that various modifications'may be made in the construction shown in the drawing and above particularly described, within the .20

1. In combination with a comb, a labelbandj therefor extending diagonally in opposed relation at the opposite faces of the comb with a first fold bight disposed between the teethof the comb and with a second fold bight passing over and in abutting engagement with the outer edge of the back of the comb in such relation to the first fold bight as to maintain the latter between the teeth of the comb.

2. In combination with a comb having teeth the ends of which are in. the same plane longitudinally of the comb, a label band for said comb having an intermediate body section passing diagonally across the front face of. said comb, a reversely rearwardly bent extension from one end. of said body section forming a fold bight passing between two of the teeth of the comb, a reversely rearwardly bent extension from the other end of said body section forming a fold bight passing over and in abuttingengagement with the outer edge of the back of thecomb,

and means whereby the end portions of said extensions are secured together thereby to form a complete endless band on the comb.

3. In combination with a comb having teeth the ends of which are in the same plane longitudinally of the comb, a label band for said comb having an intermediate body section passing diagonally across the front face of said comb, a reversely rearwardly bent extension from one end of said body section forming a fold bight passing between two of the teeth of the comb, a reversely rearwardly bent extension from the other end of said body section forming a fold bight passing over and in abutting engagement with the outer edge of the back of the comb, said fold bights being disposed substantially at a right angle to one another, and means where by the end portions of said extensions are secured together thereby to form a complete endless band on the comb.

4. An originally foldable label member for labeling a comb comprising a main intermediate label-forming body section of individually quadrilateral contour having parallel longitudinal edges, a ioldable attaching arm forming an edgewise angular extension from one end or" said body section and having parallel longitudinal edges forming respectively a re-entrant obtuse angle and a sali nt obtuse angle with the respective edges of said body section the line of fold bisecting said angles, another foldable attaching arm forming an. edgewise angular extension from the other end of said body section and having parallel longitudinal edges forming respectively a re-entrant acute angle and a salient acute angle with the respective edges of said body section with the line of fold bisecting said latter angles, the longitudinal edges of each of said arms being substantially parallel with the longitudinal edges of the other said arm in the fiattened condition of said label member, and the longitudinal edges of both of said arms being disposed in aligned parallel planes with the respective longitudinal edges of said body section in the folded condition of said label member, the total combined length of said arms being greater than the length of said body section so hat thereby said arms will overlap with one another in their folded condition, and an adhesive coating carried by the end portion of one of said arms to serve as a means for securing said arms to one another in their folded condition on the comb, said label member having a weakened fold line deinarking the line of fold between each of said attaching arms and said body section.

5. An originally fiat foldaole label member for labeling a comb comprising a main intermediate label-forming body section, a pair of foldable attaching ai i s forming edgewise extensions projecting from the same edge of said body section at angles other than right angles in substantially parallel relation with each other, the total combined length of said arms being greater than the length of said body section, and an adhesive coating carried by the end portion of one of said arms to serve as a means for attaching said arms together in a folded together overlapping rela i on the comb, said foldable label member having a weakened fold line joining each of said foldable attaching arm extensions to said body section.

6. In combination with a comb, a label therefor having a first bent end portion engaging between the teeth of the comb and bent over against the rear face of the comb, said label having a second bent end portion folded over and abutting against the back edge of the comb and adapted to prevent the escape of said first bent end portion from between the teeth of the comb, and means embodied in said label itself adapted to restrain its said bent end portions from unbending so that thereby said label will be securely maintained in place upon said comb.

7. In combination with a comb, an endless label band therefor having a first fold bight passing between the teeth of the comb and having a second fold bight passing over the outer edge of the back of the comb and adapted to prevent the escape of said first fold bight from between the teeth of the comb so that thereby said endless label band will be secured in place upon said comb.

8. In combination with a comb, a label band therefor having portions extending in opposed relation with one another at the opposite faces of the comb with a first fold bight disposed between the teeth of the comb and with a second fold bight passing over and in abutting engagement with the outer edge of the back of the comb in such relation to the first fold bight as to maintain the latter between the teeth of the comb.

9. In combination with a comb having teeth the ends of which are in the same plane longitudinally of the comb, a label band for said comb having an intermediate body section disposed upon the front face of the comb, a reversely rearwardly bent extension from one edge of said body section forming a fold bight passing between two of the teeth of the comb, a reversely rearwardly bent extension from the same edge of said body section forming a fold bight passing over and in abutting engagement with the outer edge of the back of the comb, and means whereby the end portions of said edge extensions are secured together at the rear face of the comb thereby to form a complete endless band upon the comb.

10. In combination with a comb having teeth the ends of which are in the same plane longitudinally of the comb, a label band for said comb having an intermediate body section disposed upon the front face of the comb, a reversely rearwardly bent extension from one edge of said body section forming a fold bight passing between two of the teeth of the comb, a reversely rearwardly bent extension from the same edge of said body section forming a fold bight passing over and in abutting engagement with the outer edge of the back of the comb, said fold bights being disposed substantially at a right angle to one another, and means whereby the end portions of said edge extensions are secured together at the rear face of the comb thereby to form a complete endless band upon the comb.

11. A flat foldable label member for labeling a comb comprising a main intermediate body section, a pair of foldable attaching arms forming extensions projecting from said body section in directions adapting them to be folded towards one another, said arms being of suffioient length to overlap one another when thus folded, and an adhesive coating carried by the end portion of one of said arms to serve as a means for attaching said arms together in a folded together overlapping relation upon the comb, said foldable label member having a weakened fold line joining 145' each of said foldable attaching arm extensions to said body section.

CLAUDE W. KRESS. 

